


The Roma Problem

by carraville



Series: what actually happened [3]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Historical References, Out of Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-11-22 06:41:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18131708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carraville/pseuds/carraville
Summary: At first Feli had borne the holy see's complaints and insults in silence, but when he heard the holy see say “Rome is mine” as a matter of course, Feli could not keep his mouth shut anymore.“Rome----was grandpa's heart!” Feli retorted, “Rome is the capital of Italy, the birthplace of everything that Italians love! Without Rome, Italians could not have peace. It is my duty to take back Rome. I am sorry that you've lost so many of your territories because of it, but it was you who had sworn never to leave the Vatican again, and we had never forbidden you to wander about Rome again.”





	The Roma Problem

**Author's Note:**

> The references for this part: A Short History of Italy ( H.Hearder, D. P. Waley): chapter vi (unification of Italy) , part iii (the united Italy). The Pope and Mussolini (David I. Kertzer): Chapter 8 (the Lateran treaty) and chapter 9 (the Savior).
> 
> Theoretically, Vatican is only the administrative center and main territory of the holy see, and it cannot fully represent the holy see(Sancta Sedes), so Vatican was called the holy see in this work. I vaguely remember (probably not correct) Hima once said that if there was a Vatican personification, it would be an old man (with a complicated relationship with Italy). I also tend to think of him as an old man.

On February 11, 1929, a group of people arrived at the Lateran palace. Half of the group were members of the church in long robes and monk caps, and half were government officials in black coats and top hats. The leaders of the two teams were Vatican secretary of state Cardinal Gaspari and Italy prime minister Benito Mussolini.

Despite living in different worlds----the Catholic world and the secular world, Vatican and Italy officials had the same expression on their faces----tension and irrepressible joy. Zweig once sighed: how difficult it is for ordinary people living in important historical events to realize  the moments that will change history. But everyone in the Lateran palace today knew that this moment they would change history.

Because today, they were going to sign a treaty. The treaty contained several elements, which were decided after bargaining and repeated negotiations between the two sides. The end result of these elements would be an end to five decades of hostility between the church and Italy.

Cardinal Gaspari and the “savior” of Italy were still discussing in the conference room after the treaty was signed.

The Vatican, or rather the holy see, sat quietly on the balcony as he was waiting for them finishing their discussion, accompanied only by Italy.

Feli had not seen the holy see since Rome was recaptured by them on September 20, 1870. As for the fall of Rome by the Italy army, the whole church, including the holy see, believed that the Italians had brutally taken away their sacred territory. Since then, the church had vowed to be at war with Italy, and the holy see and subsequent generations of Popes had made up their minds never to step outside the Vatican city once again.

But things had finally changed in recent days. Though the treaty was driven by the self-interest of the leaders on both sides----Pope Pius xi sought to revive Catholicism through the influence of Mussolini's government, while Mussolini sought to harness the power of the church over the spiritual influence of the people----it itself did, after all, smooth relations between the holy see and Italy.

“Unexpectedly, we meet again.” the holy see, looking out into the Lateran gardens, did not look straight at Feli. His voice remained forceful, though he had always been the image of a white-haired old man, “Of course I never thought I wouldn’t see you again, but I never thought I'd see you again so soon.”

“Yeah...” Feli responded. He never knew how to get along with the holy see. He was always a happy man, but once he was near the holy see, he became stiff.

“Why isn't Romano here?” The holy see asked casually.

“You know he is afraid of you.”

“I've always liked him better.” The holy see continued, “Weak and perverse as he is, he is at least more pious than you. I remember when you two were very young, you were very artistic,very commercial and very liberal, and you didn't think much of the church. On the contrary, the ‘rebellious’ Sicily always looked up to me.”

“Do you mean that big brother was more easily deceived by the lies of the church and was more obedient to you, so you like him better?”

“Well, you haven't changed a bit!” The holy see turned and stared at Feli, “I thought with a stronger boss in charge of you, you would be more tractable!”

“I'm just telling the truth...” Feli looked down and explained, “In the past the church had indeed taken advantage of the trust of people in the south, making them work like cattle. The people of the south thought they were doing a service to God's chosen people, but really they were just offering you free labor for your abundant lives, weren’t they?”

“Nonsense! I don't need an abundant life, but the common people, they need to be disciplined, otherwise, they will be lost like lambs!” The holy see looked more and more agitated, “Your grandfather and France had been a bad influence on you! It was from your side that Italy wanted independence and a free government in the beginning too! Those were the sources of all disasters! Do you still remember the day when you marched into Rome with your army?...”

The lips of the holy see still dwell on the past. Feli listened quietly and also walked back to the 1870's when he was fighting to take back his grandfather's heart----Rome...

****

During the Franco-Prussian war, Francis once appealed to Feli for help. Fran had done Feli a lot of favors, so Feli shouldn't have refused, but at the time Italy's military and finances were tight. There was nothing Feli could do to help Francis, even if he wanted to, so this time he chose not to.

The result, of course, was that France lost. Feli should have felt guilty, but it turned out to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him. France, because of his failure, had no time for the church, and the establishment of the third republic of France also meant that Italy's old obligations of friendship to France were written off. For Rome, Italy was finally free to move.

Gilbert just followed the instructions of his boss to meet Francis in battles. He didn't do it out of personal will, and he never knew it would help Italy get Rome back. His victory did, however, indirectly excluded Italy’s greatest scruple. Gil had done his favorite Italy brothers such a big favor, without knowing it.

Just as the Italian army broke into the eternal city on September 20, as Feli and Lovi stepped into grandpa's heart once again, as all the people of the church ran into the Vatican city with grudges, as the Italy brothers secretly thanked Gil in hearts, Mr Gilbert was still at the victory party in Berlin , bragging to his fellow-soldiers about his military exploits against Francis.

****

“On that day, you and your brother actually dared to defile this holy land with your army, and later brazenly made it your capital! You know!” The holy see shouted, “Rome is mine!”

At first Feli had borne the holy see's complaints and insults in silence, but when he heard the holy see say “Rome is mine” as a matter of course, Feli could not keep his mouth shut anymore.

“Rome----was grandpa's heart!” Feli retorted, “Rome is the capital of Italy, the birthplace of everything that Italians love! Without Rome, Italians could not have peace. It is my duty to take back Rome. I am sorry that you've lost so many of your territories because of it, but it was you who had sworn never to leave the Vatican again, and we had never forbidden you to wander about Rome again.”

“Roma,” the holy see responded, “ is my parish.”

“Of course, from a religious point of view...” Feli softened his tone.

“Of course, ” the holy see interrupted Feli, “Other than religion, everything else is just about keeping the streets clean.”

Feli was silent. He knew an independent and free Italy would never be liked by the holy see. The difference between him and the holy see could not to be distinguished by words. Feli now only hoped that his boss would finish talking to cardinal Gaspari soon.

However, the holy see did not intend to let Feli in peace, he continued quickly: “This treaty is a disgrace. I can’t believe we eventually agreed to a treaty for such a small amount of territory and benefits...However, this is only the first step, as long as we can continue the friendship with your boss, our ultimate goal will be achieved sooner or later. Your boss is a megalomaniac, but at least Italy is back ‘in order’ under his lead. Oh, look at what unification and free government had done for you? Have you become a better country? Truth is, once full freedom of thought and action is achieved, the only way forward for mankind is hell. All those French declarations of liberty and equality were but a joke. Napoleon and his French soldiers regarded Italy as a conquered territory. Those soldiers were barbaric and irreligious, yet so eager to plunder Italy's precious art. And then Bismarck's powerful Prussia made you also dream of being a great nation, and you followed those big countries into World War just not long after the founding of the country. Then the October revolution broke out, and Italy's socialist party roiled the government. There were constant strikes and violent riots everywhere, until Mussolini and his black shirts appeared. Everything that had happened since the unification of Italy has proved me right. Ordinary people need to be disciplined and guided, otherwise they will go astray. The church has never considered Mussolini as a savior, because there is only one savior in the world----Christ. But we need Mussolini's strength and, of course, he knows he needs our influence. Your boss has promised to recreate the past life of Italy under the rule of the church, and indeed his government will not encourage the so-called ‘free will’, and soon the Apennines will return to the sanctity of the past. This is our ultimate goal.”

“But, you know, it is no longer the middle ages. Do you think people today still want to be disciplined and guided?”

“As I said, we can resort to force and intimidation when necessary.”

“In my opinion, it is wrong to do so.” said Feli, looking intently at the holy see, “Sure, humans sometimes make many bad choices, but they also create a lot of great things! For example, the black box that commemorates this special occasion today, with a single flash, can record vividly scenes that would have taken a painter days to complete in the past. And the plane on the sky,  the cars in front of the door...Could you imagine these things existed 10 centuries ago? I don't think people who read sacred books every day can create these things! I don't think people need or should be disciplined. They just need education, and with the right education, they will understand what is a good choice and what is a bad one.”

“Education? You've lived all these years and you still can’t see it through?” the holy see stared at Feli with disdain, “Rationality---- can never be the power of people. For example, you know it's wrong to kill someone. But can you not lift up your gun when you see foreigners maim your countrymen? But faith can, faith can always be the power of people. Besides, can you guarantee that all the people in Italy have access to the right education? Have you ever considered that people in certain parts of the south might not even be able to feed themselves, let alone get an education? This requires more energy and effort.”

“However, we cannot deny the possibility.”

“Then let me see if one day, in this free world, people can completely get rid of prejudice and disputes.”

“I believe there will be one day.”

“We'll see. Anyway, we have plenty of time.”

******

After a busy and tiring day, Feli returned home.

“Back at last,” Romano leaned on the sofa and looked sideways at his brother, “I have finished my meal. Sorry, I didn't leave any for you.”

“I've already eaten, big brother.” 

“You saw lord holy see?”

“Yeah.” Feli nodded, “He also asked about you. He asked why you didn’t go to the Lateran Palace.”

“To be scolded there? No way.”

“I really envy that you can be so wayward. He did scold us the whole day.” Feli sat down heavily on the sofa.

Feli then repeated roughly to his brother what he had talked with the holy see during the day. After hearing it, Romano was lost in thought.

Before long, Romano suddenly asked: “I wonder what would happen if, 20 years later, you had a new boss and people started to hate this dictatorship that was taking away people's freedom. What will people think of the Vatican's moral support for such regimes? Will people still believe in these so-called agents of god on earth?”

“Yes, Vatican is taking a huge gamble. To restore the church's place in the lives of ordinary Italians, the Pope even did not hesitated to dance with the devil.” Feli responded, “People keep their eyes wide open in an attempt to understand the consequences of their actions, to hope that they didn't make the wrong choice, and that their name will not be taunted by future generations. However, the more they open their eyes, the less they can see the line in the future.”

“Never mind! Cut this bullshit!” Romano exhaled, “We'll see. Anyway, we've got plenty of time.”

“Strange. That's what the holy see said.”

Fine.

**Author's Note:**

> In the middle ages, there were liberal and prosperous cities as Venice and Florence in northern Italy, so I personally think that Feli was actually more open than Lovi (In the eyes of the church is rebellion). The court life in southern Italy was very luxurious and famous, but most of the people there lived in poverty and ignorance for a long time. They were tied to work on a piece of land all their lives, but this land was not theirs, most of the land was owned by the church, and some of it belonged to noble.
> 
> France had troops in the church, that's why Italy didn't take back Rome after they had unified for so long. Besides, the Italian government had a pro-french tendency since Cavour, so they didn't want to break the friendship with France.


End file.
